Communications Dispatcher II (1705) - Citywide - (C00468)

City and County of San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 82,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

City and County of San Francisco is seeking a Communications Dispatcher II to perform a range of dispatch duties under general supervision. You will operate radio, telephone, and data systems, verify information, and coordinate with multiple departments during emergencies and routine operations.

The role requires two years of verifiable communications experience, the ability to train staff, and strong problem-solving skills.

Qualifications

• Two years of verifiable experience operating a two-way radio communications base station.
• Two years of verifiable experience operating a multi-line telephone and a two-way radio base station with at least one year on a two-way radio base station.

Responsibilities

• Operates a variety of communications equipment including multi-line phones, two-way radio and pager systems to receive and route calls.
• Verifies messages for accuracy and determines action and staff or agency to contact.
• Dispatches mobile units and equipment to work locations including traffic control, towing and emergency services.
• Records and time-stamps messages, maintaining unit status and logs for permanent records.

Skills

Two-way radio experience

Radio base station

Multi-line telephone

Job description

Company Description

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our city's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our city what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

Application Opening

Friday, October 30, 2026

Application Deadline

• Original deadline - Friday, November 13, 2026 (by the end of the day)
• Updated deadline - Friday, November 20, 2026 (by end of the day)

Compensation Range

$82,004 - $99,684

Recruitment ID

1705 (C00468)

Department

Citywide

Job class

1705 Communications Dispatcher II

Role type: Permanent Civil Service What does this mean?

Hours

Full-time

Exam type

Class Based Test

Cert Rule

Rule of 10

List type

Combined Promotive Entrance

Role description

Under general supervision, the Communications Dispatcher II performs a variety of specialized duties in connection with communication dispatch functions.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Supervises and trains assigned staff in all aspects of dispatch functions and departmental regulations.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Operates a variety of communications equipment and information transmitting devices such as, multi-line telephones, keyboard, two-way radio and pager systems utilized to receive information, request reports and emergency calls from a number of mobile radio field units and telephones, or to transmit messages to field units and/or to route calls to proper bureau or detail for action.
• Verifies and evaluates messages received to determine if information is accurate and may follow up to ensure proper receipt and understanding to determine type of action necessary and appropriate staff and/or agency to be notified.
• Dispatches mobile units and equipment to specific work locations, including locations where traffic control, citing and towing services are needed; makes phone requests for ambulance, tow-truck or other emergency services; makes inquiries of other agencies as requested by field units; reads maps and gives directions on how to get to location of emergency.
• Records essential information and facts from messages transmitted or received by radio and telephone by entering and retrieving data from computer, time stamping and logging messages for permanent record keeping, maintaining continuous records of the status of units assigned, and maintaining a regular log of all messages transmitted and received by radio and telephone.
• Coordinates communications emergency procedures by working with staff from City departments (e.g., Police, MUNI, Fire, Sheriff & PUC,) and communications dispatchers from 911 and DPW, during accidents, emergencies and natural or other disasters.
• Transmits alarm information to supervisor on duty, when departments needs assistance; notifies the Police department daily of streets scheduled for no-parking zones; prepares records and performs clerical duties.
• Monitors surveillance equipment and intrusion alarms from on-site buildings.
• Supervises and trains assigned staff in all aspects of dispatch functions and departmental regulations by providing regular on-going training to staff and by monitoring and evaluating their performance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

How to qualify

EXPERIENCE: Two years of verifiable experience operating a two-way radio communications base station, receiving, recording and transmitting messages from one source to another;

OR

• Combined total of two years of verifiable experience operating a multi-line telephone, and a two-way radio communications base system. One year of this experience must have been operating a two-way radio base station.

Important Information Regarding Radio Experience

Experience using handheld or portable two-way radios do not qualify. To meet the experience requirement for this recruitment, applicants must have experience operating a two-way radio base station.

• A two-way radio base station is a radio unit that is installed or operated at a fixed location and is used to communicate with portable or mobile two-way radios over a radio system.
• A portable or handheld two-way radio, commonly referred to as a walkie-talkie, is designed to be carried and operated by an individual while moving between locations. Experience using only handheld, portable, or mobile two-way radios is not considered experience operating a base station and does not satisfy this requirement.

Applicants must fully meet the minimum qualifications by the final filing deadline unless otherwise stated.

Note:

Some positions may require that incumbents successfully complete on-the-job training in California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) operations, policies and procedures within six (6) months of appointment (hire date). Employees must also pass a proficiency exam every two (2) years throughout employment, in order to maintain eligibility for access to CLETS.

Qualifying Full-Time Employment Standard:

One year of full-time employment experience is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Verification Of Education And Experience

Verification of Education and Experience

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Application Submission Confirmation

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Name on Application

Please ensure the information on your application is accurate. The name of your application must match your legal ID for verification purposes. If you use a preferred first name, you may include it in parentheses, for example: Samuel (Sam) Jackson.

Email on Application

The email address you use on your application should be consistent across all jobs you apply for on our website. Use a personal and not a shared or work email address.

Important Email Contact Information

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that your registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that emails from CCSF are not blocked on your computer by a spam filter. Applicants should add our emails to your contacts to avoid delays in updates: https://sfdhr.org/ccsf-email-extensions

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/. The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Hana Mendoza (Hasana) at [e-mail]. Be sure to include the recruitment ID: 1705 (C00468) in the subject line.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.